Diagnosis and treatment of bone cracks in the leg. All about bone fractures and cracks

CRACK IN THE BONE: CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS AND PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT

There is knowledge that every person should have. They help to act correctly in critical situations and, if necessary, provide medical assistance to victims. The most frequent and widespread threats are injuries to the arms and legs of various origins. So, playing sports, jogging or even a regular walk can pose a certain danger. They result in both cracks and complex bone fractures, so it is important to distinguish between these lesions and be able to make the right decision when providing emergency care.

Bone crack: what is it? This injury is less dangerous than a fracture, but it cannot be ignored. A bone fracture is an incomplete disruption of the integrity of this structure. Most often, such damage is observed in flat bones and is a characteristic sign of linear fractures. How to determine the presence of this pathology? If a person falls and feels severe pain, this can be an important signal. Painful sensations may be aching, throbbing, or manifest themselves in the form of tingling. A bone fracture is characterized by the fact that the unpleasant sensations intensify with movement and palpation of the affected area, and at rest they subside and cease to bother. Sometimes this damage is indicated by severe swelling, which interferes with movements and forces the victim to keep the limb in one position.

Bone crack: symptoms and complications

Symptoms of this disorder also include the occurrence of hyperemia at the site of the bruise, an extensive hematoma, which is very painful on palpation. If such complaints occur, you should immediately contact a medical facility for adequate treatment. We must remember that even the smallest crack in the bone can trigger the development of gangrene. Given such severe complications, you cannot self-medicate; you should immediately contact specialists after injury, who will refer you for an X-ray examination and prescribe the optimal methods of therapy.

Bone crack: what to do?

If you receive even a minor injury, you cannot be negligent about your health, since bruises, cracks or fractures are dangerous in any form. After injury to a limb, you can only apply a cold compress or ice, since the low temperature will somewhat reduce swelling and relieve pain. The use of various ointments and creams is inappropriate. For your safety, the victim should immediately consult a doctor. It is worth remembering that bone cracks are quite serious injuries that cause deformations and impaired motor functions of the limbs, and therefore require the intervention of a specialist. Principles of treatment Most often, therapy for bone cracks includes complete rest and complete rest of the affected area. No medications are used. Quite often, a plaster cast is used to fix an injured limb. Patients must remain in bed. In some cases, vitamin complexes that contain calcium are prescribed, since it is this element that promotes faster strengthening and growth of bone tissue.

Crack in shin

Almost all of us have experienced some kind of trauma at least once in our lives. Injuries to the lower extremities, both minor and serious, can occur anywhere. When you receive an injury, the main thing is not to get confused and to help yourself or the injured person in a timely manner. First aid is important for any injury, including shin fractures, which traumatologists quite often diagnose in their patients.

A crack in the bone of the ankle is significantly different from a fracture, but we should not forget that it is a type of it. Simply put, an unfinished option that can turn into a fracture if assistance is not provided to the victim in a timely manner. Often, cracks in bone tissue occur precisely in flat bones; in this case, the injury is considered to be of moderate severity, since there are no bone fragments or displacement, as often happens with injuries to tubular bones.

Symptoms of a cracked shin

Cracks in the bones of the lower leg are most often provoked by direct mechanical damage, represented by a fall or a strong blow. A crack forms because the density of the bone tissue is inferior to the force of the load that was placed on it. In this case, the supporting functionality of the bone does not change. A fracture differs from a fracture in that no bone fragments will be visible on the x-ray, and its supporting functions will be completely preserved.

After receiving the image, the doctor evaluates the type of crack and damage to surrounding tissue. In addition, with the help of x-rays, it is possible to determine the extent of the injury, whether adjacent tissues are affected, whether there are bone fragments, and whether there is a rupture of blood vessels that led to a hematoma. With the help of timely diagnosis, you can not only choose the right treatment, but also reduce the course of rehabilitation to a minimum.

If the ankle joint is damaged, x-rays cannot always provide the necessary information, so the traumatologist often refers the victim to a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan. With the help of such a diagnosis, the doctor will be able to determine how deep and in what place the joint is damaged.

Treatment

Immobilization of the injured limb using an orthosis

To prevent the crack from becoming a fracture and causing complications, the victim must be given first aid. After the patient has been injured, it is necessary to provide complete rest to the injured leg and apply a cool compress to the suspected crack. The leg should be immobilized and all loads on it should be excluded. It is best if the patient remains in bed. Only a doctor can determine for how long the mobility of the limb should be limited. Everything will depend on how serious the crack is and in which part of the lower leg it occurred.

After the patient takes an x-ray, he will be prescribed immobilization of the injured leg. For this purpose, the traumatologist will apply a cast, which he will wear for as long as the severity and nature of the injury requires.

If the traumatologist has diagnosed a shallow crack, instead of a cast, wearing an orthosis or bandaging the limb with an elastic bandage may be prescribed. The orthosis is made of light plastic and elastic synthetics, which makes it convenient and comfortable, and wearing it promotes a speedy recovery and a reduction in the rehabilitation period.

If the patient is bothered by pain, he is prescribed painkillers. As well as a special diet that promotes the rapid growth of cartilage tissue and healing of the crack.

Don't expect the crack to heal on its own. It is necessary to urgently contact a specialist to undergo an examination, make a correct diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment.

Rehabilitation

There are practically no consequences for such an injury, and if they do occur, it is due to late consultation with a doctor or improper treatment. Complications include deformation processes in the ankle, leading to disruption of its functions and the development of immobility of the arch of the foot, chronic pain and arthrosis of the articular joints, which occurs as a result of untreated injury.

If the crack does not heal for a long time or leads to a fracture with displacement of bone fragments, then this leads to angular deformation. To correct this problem, surgery is necessary.

After the fracture heals, the traumatologist takes a second x-ray of the damaged limb and allows the patient to remove the plaster and begin to step on the leg. Often fusion takes from one to two months. The orthopedist will also prescribe therapeutic exercises, massage and physiotherapy.

To ensure that treatment and rehabilitation take less time, and the crack heals without causing complications, consult a doctor immediately after the injury and do not forget about first aid, then no consequences will arise. Stay healthy.

Who among us has not experienced some kind of injury at some point in our lives? They lie in wait for us on the street and at home, at work and in training, in the country and in the city, and anywhere. The question is that it is important not to get confused, to be able to provide first aid to yourself or another person, and therefore to at least roughly determine the essence of the damage, for example, is it a crack in a bone or a fracture.

The difference is that a fracture is a complete violation of the integrity of the bone structure, and a crack is an incomplete fracture, partial damage to bone tissue, it is considered a less dangerous condition, in fact it is a type of fracture, more often found in flat bones (ribs, sternum, pelvis, arch skull). Some experts believe that a crack is a fracture without displacement of bone fragments.

Causes of cracks

Cracks in bones can occur in different situations: for example, during an accident (road accident, work or household injury), during a fight, when falling on the street in icy conditions, during training. In this case, the risk factors are:

• too sharp increase in training intensity;
• performing an unknown exercise for the first time;
• uncomfortable shoes, insufficient quality equipment;
• decreased bone density;
• too high or low body fat content;
• poor nutrition (not enough calcium and other minerals);
• thyroid diseases;
• long-term use of hormonal drugs, anabolic steroids;
• in women with irregular cycles or menopause.

A crack in the bone occurs under direct mechanical influence from the outside (impact, fall), when the strength of the bone tissue is inferior to the force of the load, while the supporting function of the bone is preserved (in case of a fracture it is lost due to the displacement of bone fragments). There are single and multiple cracks in one area of ​​the skeleton, according to their location to the center line of the bone - linear, oblique, spiral.

Main symptoms and confirmation of diagnosis

1. First of all, it is severe pain in the damaged area, intensifying with any movement, touching, or attempting to palpate. At rest, it can be muffled, dull, pulsating or tingling. If the ribs are damaged, then every breath for a person becomes very painful, so doctors recommend breathing shallowly in case of a chest injury. Pain occurs because when a crack occurs, not the entire bone structure is damaged, but mainly the periosteum, in which there are a lot of receptors that signal the brain about a breakdown.
2. The second symptom is tissue swelling in the area of ​​damage, which can increase before our eyes and disappears no earlier than in a day.
3. One of the symptoms of a crack is that it can be quite extensive, more often with cracks of the calvarium. The last two signs are more pronounced with bone fractures; they do not always occur with cracks.
4. Limitation of movement in the damaged area due to pain and swelling of the tissue. Sometimes a person has to take a forced position.

You should remember the seriousness of any injury, even in the absence of pronounced symptoms, but if there is a fact of injury, you must contact the nearest medical facility, especially if the complaints listed above appear.

A surgeon or traumatologist will conduct an examination and refer you for an x-ray examination, which will determine the type of bone damage (bruise, crack or fracture), its size, and the condition of the surrounding tissues. Further tactics of patient management depend on the accuracy of the diagnosis and timely identification of the disease. Sometimes it is useful to have a bone scan or nuclear magnetic resonance of the bone to determine the exact depth of the injury.

How to treat a crack

Ice on the fracture site

Immediately after receiving an injury, it is recommended to apply ice to the injury site and consult a doctor. The first rule when treating cracks is complete rest, exclusion of physical activity, and bed rest. Moreover, the period for applying such measures may vary. The doctor decides how long the patient needs rest.

It is better to fix the damaged bone. If it is a limb, then a plaster splint is used; the wearing time depends on the age of the person, his state of health, and the type and degree of damage. For cracked ribs, elastic bandaging is used; it is forbidden to laugh loudly, cough or lie on the injured side.

It is possible to take painkillers from the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs orally. In the initial stages of nutrition, products are recommended to improve the formation of cartilage tissue - jelly, jelly, fatty fish. Subsequently, foods containing calcium are preferable - dairy products, sea fish, eggs, asparagus, nuts. Taking vitamin and mineral complexes will not be amiss.

A crack heals faster than a fracture and is treated less intensively. How much time this will take depends on the age of the patient; the older the person, the slower his reparative processes are and the longer the rehabilitation period is needed. On average, this is 4-6 weeks, full recovery in 4-6 months.

The prognosis for injuries of this type is favorable and, provided that all recommendations of the traumatologist are adequately followed, there should be no negative consequences. If the crack is not treated, it can deepen and even transform into a fracture, lead to the displacement of debris, and deprive a person of a normal life for a long time. The hematoma can fester and even lead to gangrene of the limb. Therefore, you should not rely on “maybe it will pass”; for any injury, you need to undergo an examination and treat the problem. If you delay contacting a doctor, the consequences can be serious, and treatment will take longer.

Features of bone damage in children

Fracture in a child

In children, especially in the first year of life, cracks or linear fractures of the bones of the cranial vault (parietal bone, frontal, less often occipital and temporal) are quite common, which can pass through several bones at once. In this case, in children, vascular damage is possible with the formation of an intracranial epidural hematoma.

The elasticity of bones in children is high, especially in infants, so depressed fractures (like a “celluloid ball”) are common. Cracks in the vault in children can reach the base of the skull. The prognosis is always serious, requiring immediate medical intervention. Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.

In other parts of the bone skeleton of children, a “green stick” type fracture is characteristic, that is, damage to the bone while preserving the periosteum. Healing occurs faster than in adults.

Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that a crack formed in the bone is not a complex disease, but it must be treated under the supervision of a specialist.

You can get injured literally at every step. Both adults and children are at risk. And it doesn’t matter whether you are involved in a dangerous sport or just going to the kitchen to drink water - one awkward movement can lead to a bruise, sprain or fracture. Therefore, you need to know how to act with the victim in different situations. The algorithm for providing first aid directly depends on the type of injury. But an inexperienced person is not always able to correctly recognize the type of damage.

How can you distinguish a fracture from a bruise? This is one of the most difficult questions for those learning first aid. Let's try to find the answer.

What is a bruise?

A bruise is an internal damage to tissues or organs that is not accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin. This type of injury can be the result of a fracture, dislocation or sprain.

A bruise appears as a result of a fall or soft tissues and organs located in the injured area suffer. At the site of the impact, a hematoma is formed - an accumulation of liquid or coagulated blood. If the leg or leg was strong, the tissue around the bruise swells, impairing the mobility of the limb.

What is a fracture?

Fracture is a complete or partial disruption of the integrity of bone or cartilage. Accompanied by injury to surrounding tissues: muscles, skin, blood vessels, nerve endings. Fractures can appear for two reasons:

• due to the influence of external forces on the bone that can disrupt the strength of the skeleton;
• with minor injury, if a person suffers from a disease that changes the structure of bone tissue.

The fracture can be open or closed. With the first type of injury, the skin is injured and severe bleeding occurs. The damaged bone is visible on the surface. In type 2 injury, the skin remains intact and there is no external bleeding. A hematoma may appear.

And closed fractures are very similar. At first glance, both injuries do not have any distinctive features other than a bruise. Therefore, people have a question: “How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise?”

Learning to distinguish a fracture from a bruise

Understanding how to distinguish a fracture from a bruise is not as difficult as it might seem. Main features:

1. If a person has a fracture, the pain makes itself felt for several hours. May get worse over time. When bruised, the pain gradually subsides.
2. In case of a fracture, the swelling of the damaged area increases for 2-3 days. With a bruise, it appears immediately after the blow.
3. If the integrity of the bone in a limb is damaged, it is impossible to perform physical activity due to severe pain. For example, if your hand is injured, you cannot clench your fist. If your leg is injured, you cannot fully straighten it.
4. When a fracture occurs with a displaced bone, the limb may be deformed. Its length may also change compared to a healthy one.

To understand what type of injury a person has, you need to press on the damaged area in the longitudinal direction. If an arm or leg is injured, ask the patient to carefully place weight on it. If there is a fracture, there will be a sharp pain in the damaged area.

If you cannot independently determine what type of injury the victim has, you should not try to provide first aid. It is better to wait for the doctor to arrive.

How to distinguish a fracture from a bruised finger?

It is not so easy to understand from external signs what type of injury the victim has. Both with a closed fracture and with a bruise, the same symptoms appear:

• swelling appears on the affected area;
• the skin turns blue;
• the injured area hurts.

You can distinguish a fracture of the little finger from a bruise by the following signs:

• the length of the damaged phalanx has changed;
• a constant sharp pain is felt in the finger;
• When palpated, bone deformation can be detected.

If there is a bruise, pain in the finger will occur during physical activity. It will go away in a couple of days. If the patient has a fracture, the pain will only increase over time. The swelling will also become stronger.

How to distinguish a fracture from a bruise yourself? Practical experience is important here. There is always a chance that a person without medical education will make a mistake. Therefore, you should not engage in treatment on your own.

It would be a good idea to visit the hospital and undergo an X-ray examination to get an accurate diagnosis.

Fracture or - how to understand?

You can distinguish a fracture of the little toe from a bruise by the same signs as the type of damage to the phalanx of the hand. There is constant pain that becomes unbearable within a few days. The swelling gradually increases. The finger becomes shorter. When palpated, a protrusion of the bone can be detected. If the fracture is displaced, severe deformation of the finger will be noticeable.

If a toe is bruised, it will be difficult for the victim to place weight on the injured limb. As in the case of a bruised phalanx on the arm, acute pain will appear during physical activity, which will quickly pass if treated correctly.

We figured out how to distinguish a fracture from a bruised toe or hand. Now let's find out how to properly provide first aid.

Actions for a bruised limb

First aid can be provided by following the algorithm below:

• apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth to the injury site;
• if there is damage to the skin, treat the wound with an antiseptic and apply a bandage;
• For severe pain, take anesthetics.

Treat bruises with special anti-inflammatory ointments. They relieve swelling, promote the resorption of hematoma and relieve pain. The recovery period after a bruise lasts 7-14 days.

If the hematoma formed after the blow does not go away for a long time, it is recommended to consult a doctor. In rare cases, surgical intervention is required to cope with the disease.

How to help with a broken finger?

First aid for a fracture is of great importance for further treatment. It is important not to make the situation worse. First of all, you need to immobilize your finger. To do this, a tire is made from scrap materials. A pen, an ice cream stick, or a twig will do. The splint is placed on the inside of the finger and secured with a sterile bandage or any other cloth.

If you need to treat the wound with an antiseptic: Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin. If there is bleeding, apply a gauze bandage or cotton swab to the damaged area. Then the injured finger is fixed. To relieve pain symptoms, use "Analgin", "Ketanov", "Nurofen".

If you have a fracture, you should definitely consult a doctor. It is impossible to cope with such trauma on your own.

You learned how to distinguish a fracture from a bruise. We became familiar with first aid techniques for injuring a finger or toe. By following the instructions, you can easily help the victim. But if you are not confident in your abilities, you should not touch the injured limb. Incorrectly provided first aid will only worsen the patient’s condition.

A crack in the bone is one of the less dangerous conditions, unlike a fracture. However, this does not mean that it can be ignored. A bone fracture occurs as a result of partial damage to the integrity of the bone tissue structure. Very often this can be observed in flat bones, which indicates linear fractures.

It is worth noting that there is an area of ​​knowledge that every literate person must master. Such skills help to quickly navigate in an emergency situation and in the event of a need for first aid. Injuries to the hands and feet are very common dangerous situations. So, in the case of sports, jogging or the most ordinary walk, the formation of cracks or severe fractures of bone tissue must be distinguished from each other in order to provide adequate first aid to people who have been injured.

What are the symptoms of a bone crack?

Causes of the phenomenon

Very often you can observe a condition such as a bone crack. They can be obtained, for example, as a result of an accident (road traffic accident, domestic or work injury), while participating in a fight, in the event of a fall in ice, as well as during training. In this case, the circumstances that provoke such an injury are:

• excessive increase in training loads;
• performing physical exercise for the first time;
• shoes that cause discomfort;
• low bone tissue density;
• low or high body fat content;
• unbalanced diet;
• pathologies of the endocrine system;
• taking medications containing hormones or anabolic steroids for a long time;
• Irregular menstrual cycle in women or menopause.

A crack occurs due to direct mechanical impact, in which the strength of the bone tissue does not allow it to withstand the force of the load. However, the supporting function of the bone is preserved. Experts distinguish single and multiple cracks, which can be located in one area of ​​the skeleton or along the axial line of the bone, the so-called linear, oblique or spiral.

Symptoms and diagnosis

If we consider the symptoms or signs of a pathological condition, experts identify the main ones:

1. 1. Severe pain at the site of injury, which increases with movement or attempted palpation. At rest, the pain in the damaged area is dull or muffled, pulsating or tingling. If cracks appear on the ribs, each breath for the patient can be very painful. That is why experts advise breathing shallowly in case of such an injury. Pain occurs due to damage to the periosteal tissue, which contains a lot of receptors that send corresponding signals to the brain.
2. 2. Swelling of tissues at the site of injury, which can increase very quickly and disappear no earlier than in a day.
3. 3. Hematoma, which can affect fairly large areas. It should be noted that swelling and hemorrhage appear mainly with bone fractures.
4. 4. Limited movement at the site of injury due to pain and tissue swelling.

The presence of a crack can be detected by a surgeon or traumatologist, who will conduct a visual examination and refer the patient for an x-ray, during which the type of damage, its size, as well as the condition of the tissues of the diseased area will be determined. The patient’s treatment tactics will depend on the accuracy and timeliness of the diagnosis. Sometimes it becomes necessary to perform a bone scan to determine the exact depth of the injury.

Very often you can observe a situation where a crack appears on the hand, in which the symptoms described above are observed. In this case, full mobility of the upper limb is not possible.

If a leg bone crack occurs, it is usually caused by a mechanical force, such as a bad fall or a strong blow. At the same time, it is quite difficult to move the injured leg.

Directions of therapy

If a bone fracture is detected, it is very important to begin treatment promptly. It is necessary to apply ice to the damaged area. For more severe injuries, it is necessary that the injured area be at rest. Only a doctor can prescribe the necessary treatment and duration of bed rest.